


Fermata

by allegorical_fox



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 15:10:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7689346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allegorical_fox/pseuds/allegorical_fox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were a politically perfect match. Robin, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. On paper it sounded great, but this was her life. And she was bound to this man for the rest of hers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fermata

Robin exhaled slowly, smoothing out the imaginary creases in her wedding dress. She needed to do something with her hands, anything really. If only to take her mind of her impending nuptials even for a moment.

A sharp knock on the door jolted her. She took another calming breath before opening it. Before her stood her father, his Plegian robes flittering around him.

“It is time,” he said extending his arm to her.

Robin steeled herself, walking with her father out towards the altar.

The wedding had been his idea. Her father believed in the philosophy of keeping ones enemies close. He knew that the only way to ruin something completely, you had to do it from the inside out. Thus, it was only natural course that he commit her to the prince of Ylisse. What better way to seize control of a nation than from its roots?

Validar wanted her to raise any children that came from the union to be brought up in the Grimleal faith. If only so that they may turn their backs on their Ylissean heritage and forever taint the Exalted bloodline with their fell blood. He wanted her to groom her children to be the next hierophants and conquerors.

Her sister Aversa smirked at her appraisingly as Robin took her place beside Chrom, her intended.

The vows, much like their kiss was a staccato, short and to the point. The couple broke away quickly as the crowd erupted in cheer. Their wedding had ended the conflict between the two countries and had brought a much-welcomed peace to the land. Combined with Plegia’s immense naval fleet and skilled mages, together she and Chrom were a politically perfect match. Robin, on the other hand was not so sure. On paper it sounded great, but this was her life. And she was bound to this man for the rest of hers.

From what she could discern, Chrom was just as coerced into this marriage as she. But to what extent she wasn’t sure.

Chrom gently took her hand and led her to the reception area in the castle where the newlywed couple took their seats.

Not soon after her father smirked serendipitously, raising a toast to the happily wedded couple. Robin downed the rest of her champagne and forced a diplomatic smile.

The new husband and wife barely exchanged glances at one another throughout the rest of the ceremony and Robin wished she could just retire to her room for the night.

 

* * *

 

Lissa watched her brother and his new wife with a frown on her face. She didn’t like that Chrom’s hand had been forced into this marriage. The new king of Plegia had left them with little choice—either go through with a marriage that would unite the two nations, ending the war or continue with the war that had devastated the two countries. Ylisse might not have been able afford another ten years of war, but Plegia certainly had the coin for it.

When someone placed their hand on her shoulder, Lissa glared at the offending appendage before her eyes widened at its owner.

“Do not worry, Lissa,” Frederick smiled. “Milord knew what he was getting into when he agreed to the proposal.”

Lissa turned her gaze to the unmistakably bored looking bride. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

 

* * *

 

Chrom’s sisters managed to whisk him off to the side where his friends crowded him with congratulatory praise. They comforted him and made him laugh.

As she watched him, Robin couldn’t help the inescapable sense of loneliness overtake her. As much as she resented her father for even putting her in this position, he was the only family she had. Soon, he and Aversa would be gone, leaving her in the company of strangers. She didn’t know what was worse—living under her father’s thumb or this twisted sense of obligation she was feeling that compelled her to try to make the best of the situation.

Deep down she knew it was just an attempt to exert a facade of control over the situation. The only thing that made the situation even minutely better was the fact that it was hard to control a pawn when it was nearing the other side of the board. The rook may advance a class and get more freedom once it reached the edge but in the middle, you could only push it in the right direction and hope for the best. The middle could be messy and pieces on the board often got lost.

Her hand reflexively reached for the book that she usually had on her person, only to remember that she had left it with the rest of her meager list of affects. She sighed and gazed about the room listlessly. She accidentally caught her father’s sharp eyes and forced a smile on her face before turning away.

She calculated the risk of stepping out for a moment. To go somewhere where she might be able to take a break and gather her bearings. Her mind worked quickly and when she saw an opening, she took it, escaping unnoticed to the secluded balcony in one of the rooms down the hall.

She closed the door quietly, pressing her back against the cool surface and closing her eyes.

“Are you alright?”

Robin jolted, alert at once. She was surprised to find her new husband sitting before her on the bed close to the floor, looking at her with equal surprise and concern. Nothing about his demeanor read false and that was why Robin found herself being honest with him.

“Not really,” she admitted sitting down beside him. “This isn’t how I imagined it would happen.” The wedding and everything else about her life, it seemed. Nothing in her life wasn’t planned by someone else, whether by her father’s political machinations or otherwise.

“Me either,” he exhaled looking a little forlorn.

She felt the inexplicable pang of sympathy. They were comrades in this; if nothing else, they at least had this in common. Robin sighed, turning her attention back to Chrom.

“While circumstances of our marriage are less than ideal, if I feel as though we should try. This is the rest of our lives we’re talking about.”

Her new husband’s lips quirked up and she for a moment she was afraid of what he was going to say. Would he even bother? Was he going to push her away?

He must of seen the lit of anxiety on her face for he placed his hand on hers. It wasn’t entirely unwelcome. His hand was calloused, something she didn’t expect to see on the crown prince. But she didn’t know why she was surprised. She had heard from her father that the Ylissean’s were soft, but looking at Chrom and his sisters—sure they weren’t the blunt angles she had come to expect from Plegia, but Ylisse wouldn’t have gotten far in the war if they were truly weak willed.

“I’d like us to be friends, if nothing else.” Chrom said.

Friends. She could deal with that. It was better than the alternative.

But as the conversation drifted to lighter topics, she couldn’t help but feel relieved.

For the first time that night, Robin smiled genuinely.

There may have been a lot things in her life that she didn’t have control over, but this…no one could dictate the terms of their marriage but them.

And for now, that was enough.


End file.
